Combination-lock.



W. W. WHITMARSH.

COMBINATION LOCK. APPLICATION FILED 050.211.1915.

1 1 9 1 ,638. Patented July 18, 1916.

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r sraans Para 1 WILLIAM W. WHITMARSI-I, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

COMBINATION-LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 18, 1916.

Application filed December 23, 1915. Serial No. 68,432.

Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have in- I vented an Improvement in Combination- Locks, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification,like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to a lock of that character, in which a bolt or latch is operated by turning a handle or knob on a spindle, as now practised with the ordinary locks for doors. I

The invention has for its object to provide a lock of the character described, with a device for controlling said bolt or latch, which in turn is controlled by a plurality of independently movable tumblers, which are capable of being independently actuated from outside the lock to render the controlling device operative to release the bolt or latch and permit the door to be unlocked. The tumblers are constructed and arranged so that their combination may be changed at the will of the occupant of the house whose door is provided with the improved lock.

Provision is made for rendering the controlling device inoperative upon the look from the inside of the door as will be described. Provision is made for changing the combination of the tumblers after the lock has been placed in position on the door. These and other features of this invention will be pointed out in the claims at the end 4 vFig. 2, a detail in section on the line 2-2 Fig. 1. Fig. 3, a section on the line 33 Fig. 1. Fig. 1, a detail in elevation of the innerside of the lock. Fig. 5, a longitudinal section of the tumbler actuating spindle shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 6, sectional detail views of the tumbler actuating spindle to be referred'to. Fig. 7, a detail to be referred to, and Fig.- 8, a section of a modified arrangement of tumblers to be referred to.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 7, a represents a lock casing containing a sliding bolt or latch b, which is moved in one direction to open the door by a spindle 0 and in the other direction to latch the door by a spring (1. The parts thus far described are and may be such as found in door locks of known construction.

Inaccordance with this invention the bolt ohas cooperating with it a controlling device, whlch 1s movable with relation to the bolt and cooperates therewith to render the 7 same movable or immovable as will be described.

The controlling device is shown in the present instance as a lever 10, pivoted at its front end as at 12 and provided at its free rear endwlth an arm 13, which is capable of being moved into the path of'movement of the bolt Z) when the latter is in its look- 2, each set comprising two disks or wheels 1 16, 17. The disk or wheel 16 is provided on 1ts perlphery with a single notch 18 and w'illbe referred to as the master tumbler wheel, and the disk or wheel 17 with a plu rality of notches 19, preferably ten in number which are shaped like the notch 18 and are designed to register therewith, so as to permit a tooth or projection 20 on the underside of the controlling lever or device 10 to enter thenotches 18 on the wheels 16 and one of the notches 19 on the wheels 17,

when said notches on the wheels of-all the sets are in alinem'ent.

Two of the notches 19 on each of the wheels'17 may and preferably will be arranged closer together than the remaining notches on said wheel, so as to form what may be termed starting notches, for a purposeas will be described.

The disks or wheels 16, 17, of each set are mounted on an eyelet 25, which is provided with heads l25126'an'd is mounted to against the wheel 16 with suflicie nt friction to enable both. wheels to move as one wheel, when the wheel 17 is turned as will now be described. The' heads 126 may be frictionally engaged with the barrel of the eyelet or they may be in threaded engagement therewith like a nut. The wheels 16, 17 of each set are designed to be turned from outside of the lock independently of the wheels of the other sets, and in Figs. 1 and 2, I have shown one arrangement for effecting this result and in Fig. 8 another arrangement. I

In the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 and 2, provision is made for turning the wheels 17 of the sets 9, h, 2', by a single actuating device, which consists of a spindle 30 capable of being moved in the direction of its length and provided with a pawl or projection 31, which is adapted by such lengthwise movement of the spindle, to be brought into the plane of the wheel 17 of each set of tumbler wheels, so that when the pawl 31 is properly positioned, the spindle may be rotated to turn the wheels 16, 17 of each set independently of the other sets. Provision is also made for keeping the pawl 31 in the plane of the selected wheel 17, and to this end the spindle 30 is provided with a plurality of annular grooves herein shown as three in number and marked 3st, 35, 36, into which is adapted to be extended a holding arm or device 37 fastened to the lock casing. The annular grooves 34, 35, are connected by a slot 38- extended axially of the spindle, and the grooves 35, 36 are connected by a similar slot 39, which is arranged for the best results out of line with the slot 38.

By reference to Fig. 2, it will be seen that when the holding arm 37 is extended into the annular groove 34, the pawl 31 is positioned in the plane of the wheel 17 of the set g, and by rotating the spindle in the direction of arrow 10 in Fig. 1-, the pawl 31 will engage a notch of the wheel 17 and rotate it in the direction of the arrow 4-1 in Fig. 1. After the wheels of the set 9 have been positioned as will be described, the spindle 30 is rotated until the slot 38 is brought into line with the arm 37, whereupon the said spindle is moved longitudinally in the direction of arrow 1-2 Fig. 2, until the spindle is arrested by the wall of the annular groove 35, at which time the pawl 31 is in the plane of the wheel 17 of the set 7b, and by rotating the spindle 30 this set of wheels is properly positioned. The spindle 30 is then turned until the slot 39 is brought into line with the arm 37, whereupon the spindle is moved longitudinally until the arm 37 meets a wall of the annular groove 36, at which time the pawl 31 is in line with the wheel 17 of the set i, and by ro tating the spindle, the set of wheels 2 may be turned into its proper position. The extent to which the wheels of each set are turned depends upon the combination selected at which the bolt is released from the looking or controlling device 10.

Provision is made for audibly indicating the number of notches each wheel 17 is turned, and to this end, the lock casing contains within it a bell 50 which is struck by a hammer 51, which is actuated by sliding bars 52 one for each set of tumbler wheels, and each sliding bar 52 is moved by a spring 53 into a notch 19 in the wheel 17 with which it cooperates, and as the sliding bar enters a notch in the wheel 17 it actuates the hammer to strike the bell.

Each wheel 17 is provided with a double notch or with two notch'eswhich are arranged to cause the bell to sound twice in quick succession, and these notches are the zero or starting point of the wheel from which the strokes of the bell are counted. To illustrate let 3, 5, 4: be the combination for the look. In this case, the wheel 17 of the set 9 is turned until the bell is struck two quick blows. The operator then turns the spindle 30 until the bell is sounded three times, at which time he knows that the wheels of the set 9 are properly positioned. He then moves the spindle 30 longitudinally and brings the pawl 31 into the plane of the wheel 17 of the set 71., and then turns the spindle until two quick blows are struck on the bell. He then continues to turn the spindle until the bell has been struck five more times. He then knows that the wheels of the set it have been properly positioned. The spindle 30 is next moved longitudinally to bring the pawl. 31 into the plane of the wheel 17 of the set 2', and the spindle is then rotated until the two quick blows on the bell are sounded, whereupon the operator continues to turn the spindle until the bell is sounded four more times, at which time the wheels of the set i are properly positioned, and the locking lever 10 is permitted to drop because its tooth 20 is free to enter the notches 18 of the wheel 16 of all the sets and a notch 19 of the wheel 17 of each set. When the lever 10 drops, the handle or door knob 55 on the spindle 0 can be turned to withdraw the bolt 7) from the opening 56 .in its striker plate 57 into the position shown in Fig. 1. The door is now unlocked and can be opened in the usual manner.

Vhen it is desired to lock the door, the spindle 30 is turned so as to rotate one of the tumbler wheels 17 in the direction of the arrow 4L1 Fig. 1, and the rotation of the wheel 17 raises the locking device or lever 10 so that its arm 13 is brought behind and into the path of movement of the bolt or latch 7) as represented by the dotted lines 60 and prevents the latter from being withdrawn from the striker plate into which it is moved by the spring (Z when the door is closed. The locking lever 10 is held in its locking position by its tooth 20 engaging the full periphery of the tumbler wheel 17 or ofthe master wheel 16 as represented in Fig. 7. Provision is made to render the locking lever 10 inoperative from inside the door, so that, the bolt or latch I) may be withdrawn by a person on the outside of the door, as for instance in case it is desired to be able to open the door from the outside without the necessity of working the combination. To this end, the lever 10 has attached to it a rod or stud 62, which is movable in a slot 63 in the lock casing and in the door see Figs. 3 and 1, and can be elevated so as to bring the arm 13 of the looking lever above and out of the path of move- .ment of the bolt or latch ,b and into the dotted line position 6 1, Fig. 1. The locking lever 10 may be retained in the dotted line position 6 1 by a button or pivoted lever 65 (see Fig. 1) which can be moved under the stud or rod 63 to hold the latter in its elevated position.

Provision is also made for changing the combination after the lock has been fitted to the door, and to this end, the lock casing contains a lever for each set of tumbler wheels, said lever being provided with a notch 71, which engages a stud or pin 7 2 on the master wheel 16, so as to hold the same stationary while the operator turns the tumbler wheel 17 by means of the pawl 31. The wheels 16, 17, are clampedtogether between the heads of the eyelet 25 with suflicient friction to enable them to be turned as one wheel except when one is positively restrained or held from movement as by the lever 70. Let it be supposed that it is desired to change the combination from 3, 5, 41 to 4, 3, 6. In this case the operator holds the master wheel 16 of the set 9 by pressing upon the arm 7 3 of the lever 70 so as to engage the notch 71 with the pin 7 2 on said wheel, and then turns the spindle 30 and the wheel 17 until he hears the two quick strokes of the bell, and then continues to turn the wheel 17 until he hears four strokes of the bell, whereupon he releases the master wheel. He then proceeds in the same way to set the wheels of the sets 71. and i getting three strokes of the bell after the double stroke in the case of the set 71, and 6 strokes after the double stroke in the set 11. Each master wheel is released by pushing in on the arm 75 of the lever 70, which cooperates with the particular master wheel. After the tumbler wheels 17 of the sets have been positioned with relation to the master wheels, it will be found that when the wheels have been turned to the proper combination to wit 4, 3, 6, the notches 18 of the master wheels and one of the notches 19 in the wheels 17 will be in alinement and in position to receive the tooth 20 on the locking lever.

The spindle 30 as shown in Fig. 2 is made so as to be capable of being inserted through and removed from the lock casing, in order to permit the latter with the parts contained therein to be applied to and removed from the door in the same manner as an ordinary,

lock. To this end the spindle 30 is provided with a center rod which is angular in cross section and a plurality of sleeves which are fitted onto the said rod to rotate therewith as one piece. In the present instance the rod has mounted on it three sleeves marked 100, 101, 102, the intermediate sleeve 101 being located on the rod within the casing a and between the sleeves 100, 102, which are located outside of the casing a and are fastened to therod by screws 103, 10 1, as repre sented in Fig. 2, the intermediate sleeve 101 carrying the pawl 31. It will thus be seen, that by removing the screws 103, 104, the sleeve 100 may be removed from the center rod of the spindle, and the said rod having the sleeve 102 thereon can be withdrawn from the casing, leaving the center sleeve 101 within the casing a, which latter with the audible signal therein can then be removed from the mortise in the door, the same as an ordinary look.

It may be preferred to rotate the tumbler wheel 17 of a plurality of sets by a single device, as represented in Figs. 1 and 2, but it is.

not desired to limit the invention in this respect as the tumbler wheel 17 of each set may be individually rotated by its own actuating device, after the manner represented in Fig. 8, wherein each tumbler wheel 17 is shown as mounted on its own spindle, there being three spindles marked 80, 81, 82 in the present instance. I

The striker or hammer 51 of the bell may be actuated by the sliding bars 52 in any.

suitable or desired manner and in the present instance, I have illustrated one construction of mechanism which consists of a lever 90, having an inclined end 91 which is engaged by an inclined finger 92 on the sliding bar 52. The finger 92 is pivoted to permit it to ride over the inclined end 91 of the lever on the return movement of the slide bar. A suitable stop 94 is provided to limit the movement of the lever 90. The spindle 30 may be locked against longitudinal movement from inside of the door by means of a pivoted arm or latch 95 which is adapted to be turned into a groove 96 in the spindle '30.

By reference to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the audible signal and its operating parts are located within the lock casing a, and have a fixed relation thereto, so that the look as a unit can replace the ordinary lock of a household door, without having to en: large or otherwise change the mortise in the door.

Claims.

1. In a lock of the character described, in combination, a bolt or latch, means for moving the same, a lever for locking said bolt in its locking position, a plurality of sets of tumbler wheels cooperating with said locking lever and rotatable independently of one another, each of said sets being capable of continuous rotation in one direction and having means to indicate the starting point, and means for rotating the tumbler wheels of each set from the outside of the lock and independently of the other tumbler wheels and movable within the look into different positions to cooperate with the sets of tumbler wheels independently.

2. In a lock of the character described, in combination, a bolt or latch, means for moving the same, a lever for locking said bolt in its locking position, a plurality of sets of tumbler wheels cooperating with said looking lever and rotatable independently of one another, a casing within which said parts are located, means for rotating the tumbler wheels of each set from the outside of the lock and independently of the other tumbler wheels, an audible signal located in said casing and movable therewith, and means lo cated in said casing and actuated by the tumbler wheels of each set to operate said audible signal.

3. 111 a lock ofthe character described, in combination, a bolt or latch, means for moving it, a device for locking said belt or latch in its locking position, a plurality of sets of independently rotatable tumbler wheels cooperating with said device and capable of being turned a plurality of revolutions in either direction, each set comprising a master wheel provided with a notch in its pe riphery and a tumbler wheel provided with a plurality of notches in its periphery capable of registering with the notch in said master wheel, said tumbler wheel having a double notch to indicate the starting point, and means for rotating the tumbler wheels of each set independently of those of another set, to bring the notches in the master wheels in alinement with each other and with a notch in said tumbler wheels, to permit the locking device to be moved to unlock said bolt.

l. In a lock of the character described, in combination, a boltor latch, means for moving it, a device for locking said bolt in its locking position, a plurality of sets of independently rotatable tumbler wheels cooperating with said device, each of said sets comprising a master wheel and a tumbler wheel, means accessible from outside the lock for rotating the wheels of each set independently of the wheels of another set, and means accessible from outside of the lock for holding said master-wheel stationary while its cooperating tumbler'wheel is being rotated.

5. In a lock of the character described, in combination, a bolt or latch, means for moving it, a device for locking said bolt in its locking position, a plurality of sets of independently rotatable tumbler wheels eooperating with said device, each of said sets comprising a master wheel and a tumbler wheel capable of being rotated together and one of which is capable of being rotated independently of the other, and a common actuating device accessible from outside the lock and cooperating with the tumbler wheels of said sets to operate the tumbler wheels of one set independently of the tumbler wheels of another set.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

WILLIAM WV. lVHITMARSI-I.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

